Botanical/commercial classification: Petunia hybrida/Petunia Plant.
Varietal denomination: cv. xe2x80x98Sunbelburaxe2x80x99.
The Petunia is a very popular plant that is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the Petunia varieties which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, cold and diseases. Recently, there were developed series of small-flowered Petunia varieties, such as xe2x80x98Suntory SP-Rxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,557), xe2x80x98Sunberubuxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,754), xe2x80x98Sunbelochipixe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,355), and xe2x80x98Sunbelkixe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant. Pat. No. 11,558), having a semi-erect growth habit, short stems, a medium plant height, abundant branching, and a high resistance to heat, cold and rain. However, there are only a few Petunia varieties having a great profusion of flowers, a pale purplish pink flower color, a very small flower size, and a high resistance to rain, heat, cold and diseases. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new variety having a pale purplish pink petals with deep reddish purple veins, and very small flowers combined with the above features.
The new variety of Petunia plant according to this invention originated as a spontaneous whole plant mutation of unknown causation of the xe2x80x98Sunbelkupixe2x80x99 variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,287). The new variety of Petunia plant was discovered in view of the distinctive flower color during propagation of xe2x80x98Sunbelkupixe2x80x99 variety in January 2000 at Yokaichi-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan. The discovered Petunia plant was propagated by the use of cuttings into 500 plants and then grown in pots on trial basis in greenhouses beginning in January, 2001. The botanical characteristics of the plant were examined, using a similar variety, xe2x80x98Pearl Sky Bluexe2x80x99 variety (non-patented in the United States) and the parent variety xe2x80x98Sunbelkupixe2x80x99 variety for comparison. As a result, it was concluded that this Petunia variety is distinguishable from any other variety whose existence is known to me, and this new variety of Petunia variety was named xe2x80x98Sunbelburaxe2x80x99.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. A color chart based on The Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plants (J.H.S. Color Chart) is also added for reference.
The main botanical characteristics of xe2x80x98Pearl Sky Bluexe2x80x99 variety are as follows:
Plant:
Growth habit.xe2x80x94Medium upright.
Plant height.xe2x80x94Approximately 14 cm.
Spreading area of plant.xe2x80x94Approximately 15-17 cm in diameter.
Blooming period.xe2x80x94April to September in the southern Kanto area, Japan.
Stem:
Thickness.xe2x80x94Approximately 2.7 mm.
Pubescence.xe2x80x94Dense.
Branching.xe2x80x94Abundant.
Length of internode.xe2x80x94Approximately 1.3 cm.
Leaf:
Shape.xe2x80x94Elliptic.
Length.xe2x80x94Approximately 5.5 cm on average.
Width.xe2x80x94Approximately 3.5 cm on average.
Color.xe2x80x94Strong yellow green (R.H.S. No. 144A, J.H.S. No. 3507).
Thickness.xe2x80x94Approximately 0.5-0.6 mm.
Pubescence.xe2x80x94Dense.
Leaf attachment angle to stem.xe2x80x94Horizontal to droopy.
Flower:
Facing direction.xe2x80x94Upward.
Type.xe2x80x94Single.
Shape.xe2x80x94Funnel-shape, with five fissures.
Shape of petal tip.xe2x80x94Obtuse.
Waving of petal.xe2x80x94Weak.
Lobation of petal.xe2x80x94Shallow.
Diameter.xe2x80x94Approximately 5.5 cm.
Color.xe2x80x94Petal: Strong purple (R.H.S. No. 83C, J.H.S. No. 8310).
Bottom color of the corolla throat and the outside color of corolla tube.xe2x80x94Light yellow green (R.H.S. No. 3D, J.H.S. No. 3304).
Reproductive organs.xe2x80x941 normal pistil, and 5 stamens.
Peduncle.xe2x80x94Approximately 0.7-0.9 mm in thickness, and approximately 2.7 cm in length.
Physiological and ecological characteristics.xe2x80x94Moderate resistance to cold, heat, diseases and pests, and strong resistance to rain.
The main botanical characteristics of the petunia plant xe2x80x98Sunbelkupixe2x80x99 variety are as follows:
Plant:
Growth habit.xe2x80x94Decumbent, with the stems hanging down when growing in a hanging pot.
Plant height.xe2x80x94Approximately 5.8-6.1 cm.
Spreading area of plant.xe2x80x94The stems extends to a length of approximately 18-19 cm from the base, and the spreading area of the plant is approximately 78-83 cm in diameter.
Growth.xe2x80x94Very vigorous with abundant branching, a great profusion of blooms, and the entire plant remains in bloom for a considerable period of time.
Blooming period.xe2x80x94April to late October in the southern Kanto area, Japan. The plant shape does not change throughout this period.
Stem:
Thickness.xe2x80x94Approximately 1.2 mm.
Pubescence.xe2x80x94Normal to sparse.
Branching.xe2x80x94Very abundant with the secondary branching being very strong.
Length of internode.xe2x80x94Approximately 1.3 cm.
Leaf:
Shape.xe2x80x94Lanceolate.
Length.xe2x80x94Approximately 3.5 cm.
Width.xe2x80x94Approximately 1.0 cm.
Color.xe2x80x94Dark olive green (R.H.S. No. 137B, J.H.S. No. 3707).
Thickness.xe2x80x94Approximately 0.2-0.3 mm.
Pubescence.xe2x80x94Few.
Leaf attachment angle to stem.xe2x80x94Slanted upward to horizontal.
Flower:
Facing direction.xe2x80x94Slanted upward to horizontal.
Type.xe2x80x94Single.
Shape.xe2x80x94Funnel-shape, with five fissures.
Shape of petal tip.xe2x80x94Somewhat retuse.
Waving of petal.xe2x80x94Weak.
Lobation of petal.xe2x80x94Very shallow.
Diameter.xe2x80x94Approximately 2.7-2.9 cm.
Color.xe2x80x94Petal: Vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. No. 74A, J.H.S. No. 9207).
Bottom color of the corolla throat.xe2x80x94Brilliant greenish yellow (R.H.S. No. 3A, J.H.S. No. 2905).
Outside color of corolla tube.xe2x80x94Pale yellow green (R.H.S. No. 1D, J.H.S. No. 3102) with moderate olive lines (R.H.S. No. 152B, J.H.S. No. 2710).
Reproductive organs.xe2x80x941 normal pistil, and 5 normal stamens. Both normal.
Peduncle.xe2x80x94Approximately 0.7-0.8 mm in thickness, and approximately 1.8 cm in length.
Physiological and ecological characteristics.xe2x80x94High resistance to rain, heat, drought and pests. The resistance to rain and heat is especially strong.
Fertility.xe2x80x94Fertile but is self-incompatible.
This new variety of Petunia xe2x80x98Sunbelburaxe2x80x99 variety was asexually reproduced by the use of cuttings at Yokaichi-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan, and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed. The characteristics of the new variety are reliably transmitted to subsequent generations by such asexual reproduction.
This new variety of xe2x80x98Sunbelburaxe2x80x99 variety has a decumbent growth habit with attractive distinctive very small flowers having pale purplish pink petals with deep reddish purple veins. The plant has abundant branching and a great profusion of blooms, with the entire plant remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time. The secondary branching is especially strong. The new xe2x80x98Sunbelburaxe2x80x99 variety has a brilliant greenish yellow base color of the corolla throat and the outside color of the corolla tube is pale yellow green. The plant is highly resistance to cold, rain, heat, drought, pests and diseases. The resistance to rain and heat is very strong.